GOVT GOES AFTER PP

Nine persons, all of whom were. associated with the State agency. during the People’s Partnership. administration, are named in the. lawsuit filed in the Civil Registry. of the Hall of Justice on Wednesday,. which claims malfeasance in. a chain of corruption, breaches of. fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley. first spoke of the high court action. at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media. briefing. He confirmed Government. had filed its first action in. the courts to prosecute persons. who stole money from the people. of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr Rowley. did not reveal who the subjects of. the matter are but said it was filed. by the Office of the Attorney General.

He raised the matter in response. to a statement by the Leader of. the Opposition Kamla Persad-Bissessar,. who suggested that the announcement. of a zero percent offer. in negotiations for public servants. from 2017 to 2020, as a declaration. of war against hard-working citizens.

(See Page 8A). “Yes the government has declared. war but the war is not on. government employees or the. working class. The war we have. declared is on corruption and on. those people who have made it a. career of stealing public money,”. Dr Rowley said. He added that at. the exact time that Minister of Finance. Colm Imbert was speaking. on the zero percent position at the. conference on Wednesday, the Office. of Attorney General was filing,. “the first action by the government. against persons who have improperly. removed money for their own. benefits.”. “In so far as we are able to we will. make every effort to get money that. was removed,” the prime minister. said. Speaking hours later, prior to. a meeting at the Ministry of National. Security, Attorney General. Faris Al-Rawi confirmed that proceedings. had been filed by the government.

Al-Rawi was judicious in. his comments, saying it was not his. intention and that of government. to engage in smear litigation.

He too refused to name the defendants. in the lawsuit, but Newsday. understands the nine persons. who among them were involved in. the operations of the Housing Development. Corporation (HDC).

Yesterday, all Al-Rawi would. say of the lawsuit was that it, ‘surrounds. the core of corruption, unjust. enrichment, breach of certain. duties’ and was ‘designed to tackle. corruption, mismanagement and. call on those persons to account for. what they have done.’. He said the lawsuit was filed following. a thorough investigation. by the State. “We intend to let due. process take its course,” he said.

The AG did reveal that the lawsuit. was a ‘carefully managed’ one. with several applications. He further. disclosed that there were nine. defendants in the suit, including. ‘some public officials.’ “Ultimately. the people would want to know. that we are taking a responsible. approach,” he said, adding that the. Government was ‘confident’ of the. lawsuit’s success.

“We are confident of what we. have brought to the courts,” he added.

Other cases are expected to be. filed by the Government as it seeks. to recover monies misappropriated. from various State agencies under. the previous administration’s tenure. in office.

“I am going to be rather circumscribed. in the information I give,”. Al-Rawi said. He reminded of. the People’s National Movement. (PNM) campaign promise of ensuring. that once there was “evidence,. footprints, fingerprints of. corruption, wasteful mismanagement,. that persons with questions. to answer would be brought to. account for their actions.” The Attorney. General also hinted at possible. criminal prosecutions against. persons.

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